In the men’s Korisliiga, the winners were the most recent champions Tapiolan Honka and Bisons Loimaa.
No one has stopped Honka from the league, Tapiola Honka, as the team won their second match as well. Kouvot lost on their home field against the Espoos with a clear score of 77–91.
The star of the field was a 20-year-old fullback who grew up in Honga Riku Korhonenwho bagged 22 points, five rebounds and two steals. Korhonen, who played in the Korisliiga for only one season before, also sank his three-point shots with an accuracy of 5/7.
– Kouvot managed to make our attack static at times, but I am really proud of how open-minded our young Finns played, comments the head coach Aapo Heinonen in the union’s bulletin.
Kouva’s highest point balance was of James Bishop IV corresponding to 22 points.
Jeremiah Wood rumbled for the Bisons in the win
A center who has made a difference in the Korisliiga season after season Jeremiah Wood was on fire as usual. KTP-Basket had to give in to Bisons Loimaa in handling with tight numbers 71–74, when Wood wreaked havoc under the basket.
The match went in an even atmosphere until the last meters, but Wood’s last drop sealed a three-point lead for Loimaa, which KTP could no longer overcome.
Wood’s statistics in the match were 25 points and 15 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive end. KTP, which suffered its second consecutive loss, was the best coachbuilder Meshack Lufile with 15 points.
Bisons head coach Konsta Mastomäki commented in Ruudu’s interview:
– It wasn’t a relaxed atmosphere even for a second. It wasn’t pretty to watch. Of course, an opening win is always a relief in a way, and the defensive end brought it to us today. There is still a lot to do in the attack.
Series table